Simple upgrades to cast-iron table bandsaws

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P89DC
Gold Member
Posts: 148
Joined: Fri Dec 29, 2017 11:23 am
Location: Greeley, CO

Simple upgrades to cast-iron table bandsaws

Post by P89DC »

There's a great thread but it's long and wandery:
https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/main ... t8361.html

I filtered through it and here's what I did to two older cast iron table bandsaws (1986 and 1980).

Tyres:
The 1986 has always been stored and used inside. The tyres are still supple and without gouges. I sanded them lightly to clean and expose fresh rubber. I'm still using them.

On the 1980 it was rode hard and put away wet by the time it arrived to me. The tyres were torn and sections were missing. I scraped off the old tyres as best I could then used zip-strip to get the wheels perfectly clean. Next I installed blue bandtiresawwearhouse tyres. They came with excellent instructions and a tool to aid in the install. Nothing to it, no glue, just soak in hot tap water and stretch on like an old fashion sew-up tyre. I've been using a 1/2" resaw blade exclusively and no issues at all.

Guide Bearings:
The old thread has the double bearing upgrade using 1/4"x20 bolts and shims to hold the bearings (the factory bearings are 7mm id world wide standard). Unfortunately the factory bearing is a weird wider bearing that I can't find anywhere with seals. Without seals the bearings can fail in a single use if the wood has minerals in it as most hardwoods do. All saws make sub-micron dust that quickly infiltrates the shield and then eats up the bearing destroying clearances in minutes if not seconds.

Here's the old thread with pictures of the double bearing upgrade with Imperial threads (1/4 x 20). Uses RS627 bearings (with 7mm id) and shims to make up the difference between 1/4" and 7mm.
This is what you do if you don't want to tap the guides:
https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/view ... 326#p96326

Bearings for the double wide: RS627 side-by-side without any washer or shim between them. I bought a sleeve of 10 for under $5 shipped from a USA supplier. They're Chinese bearings but good luck finding these bearings from somewhere else. I think they're used for skateboard/roller skate wheel bearing so they're very cheap.

Replacement bolts for the guide's bearings: 7mm x 1mm x 35mm from Ace Hardware in the little white bins. Back-in-the-day when the old thread was active, metric hardware was hard to find, now it isn't. No need for expensive shims but the guides will need to be tapped to 7mm x 1mm.

I bought the 60pcs tap and die set from HF for $32 with 20% of coupon and that gave me the 7mm tap I needed and the 1/4x20 tap I needed for the guide bolt upgrade. Handles too...

Nylon guide bolt: the old thread has a great posts with pictures, just keep scrolling down:
https://www.shopsmith.com/ss_forum/view ... 474#p96474

Cover upgrades: access hole for 5/16" tension bolt, viewing port for tension guage and shop-vac dust port.

I pulled the upper wheel off and wiped the old lube off and added Mobil 1 red synthetic grease. Lower wheel is really well protected from dust. Both of the ones I've looked at were fine, I'd leave the lower wheel bearing be unless it's making noise or is loose.
Attachments
The old girl all spiffed up!
The old girl all spiffed up!
P1050785.JPG (136 KiB) Viewed 4258 times
Dust port
Dust port
P1050786.JPG (142 KiB) Viewed 4258 times
Viewing port done with hole saw
Viewing port done with hole saw
P1050787.JPG (157 KiB) Viewed 4258 times
Double RS627 bearing on 7mm x 1mm x 40mm.  Blade is loose and therefore not centered between the double bearing's slot.
Double RS627 bearing on 7mm x 1mm x 40mm. Blade is loose and therefore not centered between the double bearing's slot.
P1050788.JPG (147.5 KiB) Viewed 4258 times
upper guide with double RS627 bearing on 7mm x 1mm x 35mm bolts.
upper guide with double RS627 bearing on 7mm x 1mm x 35mm bolts.
P1050789.JPG (136.5 KiB) Viewed 4258 times
Lower guide with double RS627 bearing on 7mm x 1mm x 35mm bolt.  Blade is loose and therefore not centered between the double bearing's slot.
Lower guide with double RS627 bearing on 7mm x 1mm x 35mm bolt. Blade is loose and therefore not centered between the double bearing's slot.
P1050791.JPG (131.5 KiB) Viewed 4256 times
Nylon 1/4" x 20 bolt on upper guide
Nylon 1/4" x 20 bolt on upper guide
P1050790.JPG (139.5 KiB) Viewed 4256 times
Blue tyres from bandsawtirewearhouse
Blue tyres from bandsawtirewearhouse
P1050792.JPG (144 KiB) Viewed 4256 times
1986 510, jointer, bandsaw, belt sander, scroll saw, jigsaw and lots of accessories. Shopsmith woodworking bench too!
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